Biography

I was inspired to pursue a career in gynecologic oncology since my early days in medical training. Having spent a considerable amount of time in low-resource settings in Central America, I witnessed the challenges faced by women with gynecologic cancers. From this experience, I aspired to gain the skills necessary to implement prevention measures and improved treatments for women with gynecologic cancers.

After my undergraduate studies at Brown University, I attended medical school in my home state at the University of Connecticut, where I became interested in the molecular changes taking place in early ovarian cancers. I was fortunate to receive excellent clinical training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Case Western combined residency program at Metrohealth Medical Center and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH. I then further pursued my interest in translational research in ovarian cancer by spending 2 years in a gynecologic oncology laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital working on new potential antibody treatments in ovarian cancer.

I was excited to be accepted into the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program at Roswell Park to complete my training. As a first year fellow, I have spent most of my time in the laboratory exploring the immunologic factors contributing to ovarian cancer. My current work is focused on the role of cytokine pathways that enhance tumor cell metastasis, and testing new methods to interrupt these pathways in pursuit of new treatments. I look forward to integrating this into the comprehensive care of women with gynecologic cancers.

I am a board-eligible OB/GYN, a fellow-in-training member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, a junior fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and an associate member of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Thesis

The role of the CXCR4-CXCL12 axis in serous epithelial ovarian carcinoma

Background

Education and Training:

2010 - MD - University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT